The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-11-16

hard cider OF advance age, but the pure,
sweet apple juice, as it dripped from the
cider.mill, was made illegal to have, pos.
seeu, sell, or store for sale in tho posses.
eion Of q liquor dealor, o hotel proprietor,
or oven the farmer who :c.sed tho apples
and who mado the elder.
This stringent enactment greatly pleased
the Prohibitionie!s. But whom the apples
we're ripe this fall and the cider began to
flow there was trouble. The farming dis.
tricts Of Maine depend on two staple crops
in most sections and from their potatoes
and apples come the rsyenueso Of the farms.
The wet season this yesr hiss rotted the
potatoes and the crop Ia a failure. The
only thing to be depended on then we're
the orchards. But the apples had hardly
become ripe and tho cider mills set at
work when condemnation eeizsd tho
farmers and operations were suspended
by order Of the liquor constables, Scores
Of good, ssaunch old Prohibitionists we're
rudely dragged away from their farma.
Most Of thesa E,an have been strongly
Identified with the Milne law from it's
birth, and have year after year voted the
temperance ticket and supported the con.
stitutionsl amendment. While they have
never drank a drop OF liquor or permitted
any in their homes, they have always
kept a barrel of homemade cider on tap
in the cellar to drink while they a!s apples
and popped corn to pas5 the loag winter
evenings.
But the provislona Of the new law made
every farmer liable who gave to bis neigh
Dor a glass OF sweet cider or sold a gallon
for vinegar, and placed him on the same
footing in the eye Of the law as a regular
liquor dealer. Ths papalties are the came,
and the law knowg no difference between
d gallon Of whinky or brandy and o gallon
of sweet cider fresh from the Cider.press.
By a most %eurpriHing legal machinatioa q
farmer who is detected in selling one glsrs
Of sweet cider iu liable Tor no less than
Eve dietinct offences. In other words, the
same set OF fac!5 ia used over and over
sgain to convict on i've different charges,
with g possible combined punishment oil
five months imprisonment in the county
jail and an accumulated fine of 81, $50.
This ia the law aa framed, and;the whole
machinery ia SGT in motion by the issuing
OF O warrant Tor the Grrest o. C lor5on for
the sale 81. 8 single glass Of cider, beer or
alcoholic liquor. The party is arrested
and brought before o trial. Justice or police
court judge and fined $50 and imprisoned
Tor thirty days.. But the evidence pro.
ducei at tho trial 7oi the prisoner which
showed Q single Gallo sufficient to warrant
q search and seizure Of the premiees, and
the glses pitcher, key or barrol containing
the cidsr imposes another fine OF 500. At
this point tho poles court has finished itH
laboro, the msn hes paid his fine and
served his term and IL at home, whan DO
ie once more arrested and al" entirely diff
ferent form.of proceedings begun against
him on the same old net Of facts for which
he has already been punished.
While the .cider.soller is In Jail, the
liquor sheriff is still active and has taken
the case to the grand jury. Tho evidence
OF the liquor found on the nremises end
the proof Of the single sale Is sufficient to
warrant the assumption Of a plurality OF
sales, and tho grand jury is ordered to in
dict the man by inference as a common
seller, with the penalty Of sixty days in
jail and o fine Of 500. By tho same evil
dence and this same Get o! .aats tho law
declares that the house, building, boat or
shop In which the cider ,is found 10 o tip.
pling shop, because It has been inferred
that the single sale and the presence of
more cider mears q common sellcr and q
plurality oil GaleH: for'keepinu 9 tipplipg
chop the fine is $500 and tho imprison.
nent sixty days in jail. But this 10 not
oil. Tho same evidence and the same get
Of iacts that led upto the tippling shop is
sufficient to chow that the liquor found on
the eearch and seizure process makes the
building q liquor nuisance, and tho PEN
atty 10 a fine not exceeding; 81, D0O.t
30 by this ingenious law the evidence
that convicts a man of the gale OF one glass
Of liquor is produced again and again; and
by assumption and inference five separate
breaches Of law are proved. With the
combination OF oGensos the penalties nc
cumulats and law virtually punishea the
sale OF Q single glaes Of cider or liquor
With five months in jail and j 1850 fine.
To make sure Of the full enforcement OF
the law every constable, aherif, deputy
sheriff and police officer Is specially and
particularly ordered to prosecute all
liquor sellers. But In addition to all this
the goyerno: Q! tho gtate is instruetsd' ID
rppolnt unlimited numbers OF special
liquor c%o1ssables, who are paid to do
nothing but geo that the liquor law ID en-
forced. These men roam about their dis
tricts and watch night and day, with full
authority 10 arrest all suspected parties,
and to seize liquorfrom wagons, buildings,
express companies aud freight cticen.
When the farmers awoke to a ~realiza-
ton OF the true scope OF the new law and
the proylAlons made to put 1t in force,
there arose q howl Of in1ignGtionl that ;lsu
not yet subsidized Tho FARMERS; many Of
them old temperance men, saw their an.
pies rotting under the tsees and did not
dare to touch them. They declared that
they had been robbed Of their chief In.
duatry, and the only thing left III the
State to do Ia to cut down all the apple
trees and pay forthem. They have taken
the matter into the town and State
granges, where 1t hss been discussed il.
respective Of party or politics. .Wituione
accord they have agreed to knife any rem.
reeentative ttolthe NEXT I.sgialature who
is not pledged to repeelthe cider clause II
the new law. "sSST
AT this point tho old rum doalers ant
anti.temperance mon have made their an
pearance as sympathixsrs, Theyfhav,
openly welcomed the friends Of temper
anco who now favor the repeal OF thI
cider law, but gay that united action ia IL,
only hope 49, redress.' Il The. farmers an
arangets desire repeal they will unite tn
rum element and help them. But whe:
the cider clause IL withdrawn. from tn
statute book ''s The whole prohibltory la1